


The Life and Times of the Last Princess of Alola

by aradinfinity



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Dead Parents, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, hopefully will not degenerate into smut......, whoops it's an adventure fic now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-01-05 10:43:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12188460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aradinfinity/pseuds/aradinfinity





	1. Endings

Nanu sighed. He shifted uneasily. After a moment, the door cracked open.  
“Hello?”  
Nanu lowered himself to meet the girl's eyes. “Hey,” he said. “You live here, right?”  
“Maybe,” the girl said. She looked maybe six; the light purple hair he'd been expecting, grey eyes. “Who are you?”  
“I'm a police officer,” he said. “My name is Nanu. What's yours?”  
“Acerola,” she told him. “What are you doing here, Police Officer Nanu?”  
He looked away. “Your parents,” he said awkwardly, “they worked at the Thrifty Megamart, right?”  
Acerola nodded.  
Nanu sighed and straightened up. “You're going to need to see this.”

The noise of people reached them while they were on the beach. A cliff obscured the site, and Nanu paused, holding a hand out. Acerola stopped, looking up at him.  
“It's not pretty,” he warned her. When she nodded, he kept going. “Apparently,” he said tiredly, “the site was sacred to the Tapu, or something. I hate to say it, but your parents...”  
Acerola looked down. Nanu waited. Finally, she said, “Show me.”  
The body bags lined the beach. A quiet police officer led them solemnly to two in particular. Someone from the village- someone's mom, Acerola thought- recognized her. Nanu squatted beside the first, placing a hand on the zipper and looking up at her. When she nodded, he revealed the head; surprisingly well preserved, with a shock of pale hair. Acerola gulped.  
“Is this her?” Nanu asked.  
It took Acerola a minute to answer “Yeah.”  
Nanu nodded, then zipped it back up. (Someone'd had the foresight to close the woman's eyes, at least.)  
The second bag was no easier than the first. Acerola confirmed that the man was her father, and Nanu stood again. “Let's go,” he said.  
Acerola felt numb. Nanu waited for her short, uncertain steps to catch up to him; he didn't offer an arm, but she didn't ask, either.  
The door to her house opened quietly. His voice stopped her when she was halfway in. “Is there anyone to take care of you?”  
Acerola hesitated. She shook her head.  
Nanu sighed. “Okay,” he said. “You'll have to go into foster care, then. I'll take care of you until we can get someone else to.”  
Acerola looked up at the police officer standing just outside her doorway. She felt tears prick at the edges of her eyes, and looked up more to hide them. “Okay,” she said. “Come in, I guess.”

“... and then,” Nanu read, “the Very Hungry Caterpie curled up, spun a cooon around itself, and fell asleep.” He shut the book, looked up at Acerola.  
She was sitting in her bed. The little Drifblim lantern was the only source of light in the room; it cast eerie shadows on Nanu's face. “You didn't do the voices,” she said. “You should've done the voices.” She scrunched her nose analytically.  
He squinted at her. “What voices?”  
Acerola reached for the book, and he passed it over. She flipped open. “Like, here! The Very Hungry Caterpie goes 'munch munch.'” She held her breath, so it came out nasal; Nanu shook his head.  
“No,” he said, “the Very Hungry Caterpie is a lot more regal than that. It goes 'munch munch.'” He'd tilted his head up, so he was looking down his nose at her.  
Acerola laughed. “Okay,” she said, “but you still didn't do that voice!” She shut the book. Nanu set it on the shelf beside the bed.  
“Next time I will,” he promised. “... Are you going to be alright on your own tonight, kiddo?”  
Acerola looked down. “I think so,” she said. “I don't really feel anything. So it's probably fine.”  
Nanu frowned. “It's not,” he said. “That means you're in something called shock.”  
“Oh.” Acerola shook her head, then looked up and forced herself to smile at him. “Still.”  
Nanu looked at her for a minute, then stood. “I'll be down the hall,” he said. “If you need me.”  
He was closing the door when she said “Good night, Uncle Nanu.”  
He paused. “Good night, Acerola.” Then he shut it.


	2. Rustling sands, lapping waves

It had been a few months. Acerola still had night terrors, but they were less frequent, and Nanu had learned to deal with them. He'd be gone for a while most days, working or looking for a home for her. None had been found that matched both their standards. She'd been learning to cook from musty old books.  
One day, he'd said, “Hey, kiddo. I'm getting assigned to a case over by Hano Beach. I'm not sure how long it'll take. I should just hire a sitter...”  
Acerola looked up at him. She blinked her grey eyes, then made the smile that sent all the nearby sitters running to the phone, to demand more money from Nanu.  
He snorted. “Yeah,” he said, “so obviously that's not happening. I am getting assigned a hotel room, though...”  
“Are we going to the beach, Uncle Nanu?” Acerola asked.  
Nanu nodded. “Tomorrow,” he promised. “Make sure you're ready.”

“Oh, it's just horrible, detective!” the manager sobbed. “Murder, I'm sure of it! And in my hotel!”  
“Right,” Nanu said. “Horrible.”  
“Horrible!” echoed Acerola.  
The manager paused. “And who is this?”  
“My neice,” Nanu explained, “Acerola.”  
She smiled up at the manager innocently.  
The man huffed indignantly. “This is no place for a child,” he said. “Why, to even think of it-!”  
“Right,” Nanu said. “So you'll spare one of your valets to show her around the beach, right?”  
“Well, I suppose,” the manager said. “Better than having her at the crime scene.”  
A valet was called over, introduced to Acerola, and Nanu explained dryly about what he was to do. Acerola tuned it out to admire the walls, Water Pokemon swimming within small pillars. The valet got her attention, and together they went outside. She extracted a pair of sunglasses from her bag, slipping them on, and smiled at the valet (who had just asked a question she'd missed) and then scurried off.  
A “Hey!” was all she heard before she slipped through a fence, onto the sand. Her shoes crunched on it, and she looked up...  
The sea stretched to the horizon. The sun glinted off the waves, gentle breakers reaching the shore; Wingull circled overhead, making noise to signify their presence against the sun. Acerola stepped on something wet, which protested. She looked down with an “Oh! Sorry,” and moved her foot off the black thing with red spikes.  
The valet caught up to her. “Don't,” he said between pants, “do that again.”  
Acerola nodded. “What's this?” she asked, indicating the oblong.  
The valet squatted down. “A Pyukumuku,” he said; “they're pretty common here. They tend to crawl up, find places they like, and then not move even when they're hungry. So we throw them back into the sea. Would you like to try?”  
Acerola nodded. She reached down, putting her hands on either side; the Pyukumuku complained, wriggling. “It's okay,” she told it, grasping the slick thing gently, “it's alright. Don't worry about it, cousin.” The Pokemon relaxed a little, and she straightened up with it. “That's right,” she said. “Great job, cousin.” Then she hurled it into the sea like a baseball. It flailed, a white hand shooting out of its mouth, and then hit with a salty sploosh.  
Acerola laughed. “And that's good for it?” she asked, looking up at the valet.  
He nodded. “Exactly. They don't know the... Hey!”  
There were more Pyukumuku dotting the beach. Acerola threw them into the sea, one by one, laughing all the while. The valet hung back, watching; she heard him say something as she scrambled over a large rock with the grace and energy of youth, but she didn't pay attention.  
The beach was empty. There had been people on the other side of the rock, she'd noticed; but not here. There was a line of boulders, out into the water. Waves brushed the beach. There was something manmade in this little cove, though; a splash of red, on a mound of sand.  
“Hello?” Acerola looked around; when nothing happened, she picked up the trowel, giving the mound an inspection. It looked like a monster, with a raised bridge for a mouth, an indent for the brow... Acerola smiled, mounding up the sand around it. She dug a little moat around it, gave it spiky teeth, angry eyebrows, little pillars of arms...  
“Acerola!”  
Her head snapped up. Uncle Nanu was there, his black coat vibrant against the rocks; his pale skin and hair blended in, but his red eyes were narrowed against the sun's glare.  
She hopped towards him, and something complained behind her; she turned to look, and the sand pile shook off her attempts at sculpture. It blinked, opening its mouth at her and grumbling.  
“Hey!” she said. “I just finished that.” She was aware of Nanu standing right behind her, a hand on her shoulder.  
The Pokemon blinked at her, then looked embarrassed. “Ssand?”  
She stepped forward, waving the trowel at it. “Could you have at least let me show it off to Uncle Nanu?” she asked, an edge in her voice.  
“Gast,” admitted the Pokemon.  
Nanu chuckled. “That's a Sandygast,” he told her. “It's a dangerous Pokemon. Ghost type. Tends to try to eat people.”  
“Oh,” Acerola said. She considered it. “Can I catch it?”  
“Ss-sand??”  
“It owes me,” she explained, looking up at Nanu.  
He snorted, reaching into his pocket. Then, he passed her an Ultra Ball. “If you can get it in one. Otherwise, we'll have to leave it be.”  
Acerola nodded. “Well, Sandygast?”  
It considered her for a long moment. She tossed its trowel back, which it accepted gracefully, wearing like a hat. Then it nodded. Acerola threw the Ultra Ball.

The Sandygast spilled out into an enclosure. It blinked and shook itself. There was sand here, too; a different shade than its body, but it swished from one side of the thing to another.  
“What do you think?” Acerola asked. It looked up at her, then made a happy sound, nodding lightly. “That's good! Uncle Nanu got me this for you. Thank you, Uncle Nanu!”  
He was leaning against a nearby wall, with a Meowth washing itself by his feet. “Uh huh,” he grunted, then lifted himself off. “I've got to go back to the case,” he said, “but you've got a Pokemon now, so it shouldn't be too rough.”  
Acerola nodded, then got a hair ruffle. “It'll be fine,” she said.  
“Still. I'll be back to check in, when I can. And you can page me if you need.” At her nod, he pulled back. His coat went over his shoulders. “Make sure you feed that thing,” he added, “and yourself. I don't want to come back to find that either of you are hurt, kiddo.”  
“Uh huh,” Acerola acknowledged. But she was already playing with the sand- she'd gotten a trowel for herself, yellow instead of the Sandygast's red. It stood out against the dimness from the overcast skies.  
Nanu watched her for a moment more, then snorted. The Meowth picked itself up and followed after him, but he stopped at the edge of the path. “See you soon, kiddo.”  
“See you soon, Uncle Nanu!” Acerola called back, waving at him. She turned back to the Sandygast. “Now, where were we?” she asked it.  
The Sandygast scooped some sand between its arms, forming a little crown. She laughed, scooped it up, and placed it on the Pokemon's head, which rustled appreciatively.


	3. Traumas

“Sorry,” Nanu said.  
Acerola pouted. “But why not?”  
“It's too dangerous,” Nanu said tiredly. He shrugged his coat on, checking his pockets.  
“But I've got Pokemon,” Acerola pointed out reasonably.  
“Yeah,” Nanu agreed. “Still not enough.” His shoes crunched on the gravel.  
“But who will protect you?”  
Nanu paused. After a moment, he raised a hand, sketching a pair of horns in the air. “The tapu.” He let it fall. “Hopefully,” he added, not quiet enough for Acerola to miss it.  
Another minute passed, and then Acerola said, “Good luck.”  
“Thanks,” Nanu said. He paused at the threshhold. “Stay safe yourself.”  
Sandygast crawled up Acerola's back, curling around her neck like a cloak. “Gast?” it asked.  
“Well of course we're not going to let him go by himself,” she told it. “I'm just waiting until he won't see me right off.”  
“Gast,” it suggested, then opened its mouth.  
She snorted. “Not tonight.”  
The Pokemon slid around front, meeting her eyes, and opened its mouth wide.  
Acerola tilted her head. “Uh? You want me to put my hand in there?”  
“Gast,” Sandygast confirmed with a nod.  
Acerola considered this. Then, she reached up, and slid her hand into Sandygast's mouth.  
There was a feel of rushing sand. The sun beat down, then faded. Acerola blinked her eyes open, and Sandygast released her hand, which she couldn't see. She couldn't see her dress either, or her body; she pulled her hair in front of her eyes, and couldn't see that, either. “Whoa,” she said, doing a little spin for the posterity of no one but herself.  
“Ssand,” Sandygast said smugly.  
Acerola giggled. “Okay,” she said, “that's really cool. Thank you, Sandygast.”  
“Gast,” Sandygast acknowledged. It swished around, and she withdrew it before setting out, putting invisible foot after invisible foot.  
You might think it was harder to tell what she was doing, given that she couldn't see herself, but Acerola found that her sense of where her body was compensated. She passed a pond, and paused, looking down into the reflective waters.  
She blinked. She could see her eyes, but nothing else. Grey against the grey sky, the whites hidden. She pulled her hair down, and the eyes vanished. Acerola nodded, and kept going.  
Soon enough, she saw Nanu. He was plodding along, hands in his pockets, like he was going to his funeral. Acerola slowed down, trying to keep her steps quiet.  
After two or three moments, Nanu whirled around. Acerola jumped, but her feet barely made a noise as they hit the ground, and he looked confused. His hand switched Pokeballs, and then he tossed one out. A Persian hit the ground.  
“Is there someone following us?” he asked it.  
“Nya,” the Persian replied thoughtfully, then sniffed around. After a moment, it put its head up to mewl, “Nyanyan.”  
Nanu raised an eyebrow. “Well, where is she? Do you see her?”  
The Persian sniffed around, and Acerola stepped out of its way, holding her breath.  
After a minute, it gave a confused “Nya?”  
Nanu chuckled, then squatted slowly. “You're probably smelling this,” he said, a hand tugging a locket out of his shirt. He clicked it open, and Acerola's heart leaped into her throat; one of her baby teeth, cleaned after it had fallen out, coupled with a picture of her smiling.  
The Persian considered this. “Nya,” it said.  
Nanu nodded, then reached out to pet it, clicking the locket shut. Persian was recalled, the locket was dropped back into its place, and he set back out.  
After a moment, Acerola followed.

The boat slipped out of the bay. Acerola'd snuck on board after Nanu, had found a place to hide while the invisibility faded. Her stomach grumbled. It was around dinner time now. She stepped out onto the deck, looking one way, then froze as she looked the other.  
Nanu apparently felt her eyes on him, because he turned away from the sea. For a moment, nothing happened. Then he choked out, “Acerola?” His voice had an edge to it.  
She stepped back behind the corner. When she peeked back out to look, he'd come after her, and his hands grabbed her by the shoulders. She wriggled, protesting weakly, as he hauled her up into his arms not unlike someone half her age.  
“Acerola,” he said, “I told you not to follow me.”  
She pouted, looking away.  
“... They're not going to turn the boat around if I ask,” he grumbled, “and if I tell you to, you won't wait for me at the marina, will you?”  
After a moment, Acerola shook her head.  
Nanu sighed, half collapsing back against the wall. His grip was light, but she knew that if she tried to wriggle away, he'd tighten it.  
“What am I going to do with you, kiddo?” he asked. “And how did you follow me, anyway?”  
Acerola looked up. “Sandygast made me invisible,” she told him with a little smile, patting her Pokeball.  
Nanu blinked. “It can do that?”  
“Mhmm!” She nodded.  
Nanu sighed again. “Great. So I'll never get rid of you.”  
Acerola blinked.  
“Not that I want to,” he added, giving her a little squeeze. “Sorry.”  
Acerola nodded, leaning into Nanu's shoulder. Her stomach grumbled again, and Nanu chuckled.  
“Let's get you fed,” he said.

Nanu rented a car from the tourist station on Akala island; it bumped, jostled, and complained over the uneven roads, but a few hours later they were at Wela Volcano Park. A recent ashfall had painted the ground grey, though the wind was doing its best to counteract it, and Nanu parked it backwards before getting out.  
“What are we looking for?” Acerola asked, closing the car door a little too weakly. She closed it again, and this time was better.  
“Something big,” Nanu said, “and hungry. Stay by the car. I might need you to start it for me.”  
“Mhmm!” Acerola nodded, standing up a little straighter. Nanu wandered into the tall grass, looking around wearily. Acerola pulled out her Pokeball, and tossed it.  
Sandygast formed at her feet, looking up at her with a “Sand?”  
“Can you ask if any of the Pokemon around have seen something big and hungry?” she said.  
It nodded. “Gast!” Then, it slid over the ground, leaving barely a trace of its passage, and Acerola settled in to wait.  
After a little while, something caught her eye, and she looked up.  
A purple balloon was dropping through the sky slowly, bobbing this way and that. Two strings were attached to it, and it looked almost like a little cloud was atop it as the strings curled. As it got closer, she could make out a yellow X on what she decided must be its front, and then it clicked into place: this was a Pokemon.  
The little balloon dropped closer and closer, and finally Acerola reached up, gripping a little heart-shaped foot with a smile.  
The Pokemon tugged upwards, then settled in her hand with a “Floon.”  
“Hi,” she told it. “My name's Acerola. What's yours?”  
“Drih floon,” it informed her.  
“Drifloon?”  
“Floon,” it nodded.  
“It's nice to meet you, Drifloon,” she said. “We're looking for something big and hungry. Have you seen it?”  
“Drih?” Drifloon tilted its head, the little cloud on top fluttering.  
Acerola giggled. “Oh, that's beside the point, silly!” She looked up as Nanu approached, giving him a smile.  
“You've found a friend, then,” Nanu said, leaning on the car. “There's nothing out here, so I'm going to go to the top and look.”  
Acerola nodded. Then, the ground shook.  
She blinked, and Sandygast sped out into the open towards her. She opened the car door just in time for it to jump in, and Nanu fingered his Pokeball. The ground shook again. “Get in the car,” he said, and his tone sent a shiver up her spine. She closed the door, giving Sandygast a little pat- the poor thing was trembling- and Nanu selected one Pokeball. The ground shook again, this time enough to shake the car, and Nanu growled. The Drifloon joined Sandygast under the seat, and Acerola looked around.  
The ground shook again, and something big stepped out from where Sandygast had come from. It was dark, with a light core, and scratched its belly. “Snorlax?” it asked.  
Nanu tensed. Then, he started laughing; he leaned heavily on the car, bringing a hand up to his face, and almost fell sideways. “Um, Uncle Nanu?” Acerola said. Nanu pounded on the trunk of the car with a fist, wracked by helpless laughter; Acerola thought she heard a sob in there, too. “Uncle Nanu!” The Snorlax waddled closer, reaching out to him, and Acerola did the only thing she could think of.  
The horn startled Nanu and the Snorlax both. She leaned on it until it stuttered out, then opened the car door and jumped out. “Sandygast, are you good to go?” It looked at her, then nodded, and followed. “Protect Uncle Nanu!” It sped out in front, and she went around the side.  
Nanu was bent over, wheezing, tears pricking his eyes. Acerola placed her hand on his knee. “Uncle Nanu, are you okay?” she asked.  
He lifted an arm, wiping his face, then nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “Sorry. Just needed a minute.” He straightened up into his usual slouch, shook his head, and reached for his belt again.  
Sandygast quickly jumped into Acerola's arms when Nanu's Persian padded out. It hissed at the Snorlax, and the Drifloon drifted in too.  
Together, they made quick work of it. Acerola almost cheered, if it weren't for Sandygast still clinging to her. “You did great,” she told it, and it smiled up at her; the Drifloon drifted over, unscratched, while Persian licked its paw.  
“Right,” Nanu said. “Hoo.”  
The Snorlax sat up, grumbled, then stood, turned, and headed off towards the mountains.  
Nanu nodded. “That's taken care of, then.” He opened the car door, and then collapsed into the driver's seat. His Persian padded over, rubbing its cheek against his leg, and he scritched behind its ears absently.  
Acerola climbed in behind him, closing the door successfully this time. “Uncle Nanu?”  
“Mm?”  
“Why're you crying?”  
“Oh...” Nanu wiped his eye with the heel of his palm, shaking his head. After a moment, he said, “I'm not ready to talk about it.”  
“Okay,” Acerola said. She settled in.  
After a moment, she asked, “Can I have a Pokeball for Drifloon?”  
Nanu chuckled, then passed her an Ultra Ball. Drifloon went into it, then swirled back out, settling holding on to Acerola's shoulders. “Right,” Nanu said, then sat up a bit. Persian slipped into the car, settling on the gear shift. “Can you not?” Nanu asked, and Persian licked its paw like it hadn't heard him. “Fine,” he said, then closed the door.  
“Can we get ice cream?” Acerola asked.  
“Sure,” Nanu said.  
And they did.


	4. Intermission- a growing light

For her ninth birthday, Acerola wanted the house renovated; she had a vision, of a place where those with no homes could go, where children and Pokemon both could shelter and be welcome.  
Nanu had raised an eyebrow. “That's going to be a lot of work,” he'd pointed out. “Both the renovation and the caretaking. Are you sure you want to do that?”  
Acerola was undeterred. Nanu acquired a generous donor to bankroll the project- the Aether Foundation, they were called, some sort of Pokemon preservation society. They contracted the workers, and, under Acerola's watchful eye, went to work.  
Rooms were added. Walls were torn down, moved out. The patio was brought out, walls erected around it, and the old front door became a booth in an entryroom. The one place they didn't touch was the room Acerola slept in; they did add a patio, though, so she could go out over the front porch and watch the road between there and the Tapu Village.  
In exchange for all this, the Aether Foundation put their name on it; they called it the Aether House, and Acerola let them. Slowly, word spread. Nanu helped, when he had the time and the energy, and people trickled in.  
Younger children found it easier to listen to Acerola than whoever the Foundation had sent for staffing, and her Pokemon were helpful for them and those who came regardless. Usually, an Absol would bring them; Acerola thought it was the same one each time, but it never stuck around long enough for her to question it. And, slowly, the Aether House became a place for those in need; a place that people knew.

On her tenth birthday, Nanu asked if Acerola wanted to take the Island Challenge.


	5. Buds and Shoots

Sophocles was working on one of his contraptions when there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” he grunted around the wire in his mouth. The hotel door (cheap, of course; free to trial-goers) creaked uncertainly, and he looked up at the head poking in around it.  
“Hi,” the girl said, and sidled into the room. “You're, uh, Sophocles right? They said you were doing the challenge too...”  
Sophocles nodded. “Well,” he admitted, “I haven't started yet. They're making me wait until someone else shows up to... Hey, hang on a second, that's you, isn't it?”  
She nodded. “I'm Acerola,” she said with a smile, offering her hand. After a moment of looking at it, Sophocles remembered what he was supposed to do and shook it. This ritual done, both children wiped their hands on their clothes- Acerola because Sophocles had motor oil on his hand, Sophocles because he didn't want her germs on his project. “What're you working on?” Acerola asked, tilting her head.  
“Well,” Sophocles grinned, “you know what a Ride Pager is?”  
“No,” Acerola said.  
Sophocles stumbled. “Oh- oh, uh, it's like, this thing that you can use to call Pokemon in to give you rides places.” Acerola nodded, and Sophocles found his feet again. “Anyway, Mo tells me that you get more options as you go on your Challenge, which means they've gotta be programmed into this. If I can get into the chip- oh! Here it is.” He jiggled the mechanism, then frowned. He tugged on it.  
“I think it's screwed in there,” Acerola said helpfully.  
“Oh, right,” Sophocles said with a blush. “Obviously. That makes sense.” He found the screwdriver, and adamantly refused to look at Acerola as he worked.  
After a minute, she said, “So, I hear you're trans.”  
Sophocles tensed. “Yes,” he said gruffly. “What of it?”  
Acerola nodded. “That's cool,” she said. “I am too.”  
“Oh.” Sophocles relaxed, then nodded. “Right. Good. Well, uh-”  
“I know what you mean,” Acerola interrupted.  
Sophocles nodded again. “I'm glad someone does,” he muttered to himself. After he'd gotten the chip out and stood, he asked, “Who, uh, who told you?”  
“Um,” Acerola said, putting her hand to her mouth. “Big guy. Tall. Blonde hair. Trial captain, I think?”  
“Oh, Big Mo,” Sophocles nodded. “He's my cousin. I'm gonna take over the position after my Challenge.”  
Acerola tilted her head, then nodded. “Right. Since Ula'ula doesn't have a Kahuna and all...”  
“Exactly.” Sophocles sat on the bed, laptop loading the interior of the chip. “Big Mo says there's gotta be at least one trial per island, though, which means a trial captain.”  
Acerola nodded again, then frowned thoughtfully. “How long has he been captain, anyway?”  
Sophocles shrugged. “A while.” He caught Acerola's look, and added, “He's older than you're allowed to be. But since there's no Kahuna to choose captains...”  
Acerola sat on the bed daintily, blowing a bubble in her cheek before letting it out. “What's taking the Tapu so long to choose one, anyway? Is it just lazy?”  
Sophocles frowned. “I don't know that that's proper to say of the Tapu,” he said.  
Acerola shrugged. “Someone has to. After all, people died in the Thrifty Megamart, and if the Tapu had just _told_ someone...”  
Sophocles' fingers hesitated. He looked up at Acerola. “Then what?”  
“Then...” She was looking away. “My parents would still be alive.”  
“Oh,” Sophocles said.  
“I'm sorry,” Sophocles said.  
“It's okay,” Acerola said. She frowned. “Okay, no, it isn't. But there's nothing to be done about it. I just wish...”  
Sophocles waited. After a moment, Acerola sighed and stood. “Whatever,” she said. “Oh, right. Hala wanted me to let you know that you can begin your Challenge, and get a Pokemon from him if you need to.”  
Sophocles blinked. “Sorry?”  
Acerola shrugged and gave him a catlike smile. “That's what he said.”  
Sophocles shook his head. “I've already got my Pokemon.” He found the ball in his pocket- an Ultra Ball- and Acerola grinned as she held up two. “Hey, that's not fair,” Sophocles pouted. “I've only got one Pokemon, and you've got two? What sort of rivals are we going to be if you're always pulling ahead?”  
Acerola blinked. “Rivals?”  
Sophocles blushed. “Sorry, that's what Big Mo said people doing the Challenge at the same time were.”  
“Oh,” Acerola said. “Huh. Well, ok, but don't expect me to go easy on you!” Suddenly, she yawned, holding a hand up to her mouth. “But I'm not going to start until tomorrow. I'm tired.”  
“It's only seven PM,” Sophocles pointed out.  
Acerola shrugged. “The boat came in at five AM. Good night, Sophocles!”  
“Good night, Acerola,” Sophocles said. The door clicked behind her, and he looked down at his Pokeball. “We've got a rival, Togedemaru. Isn't that exciting?” His mouth curled up in a grin, and he turned back to his project.


	6. Trial: Poison

The trial captain wore Ganguro. Her two-tone hair stuck out of her cap in long spikes, and she nodded, uncrossing her arms. “Right,” Plumeria said. “You kids look pretty ready. There's three Grimer in the trial site, and three types of food; figure out which each likes the most, and then take the Z-crystal on the pedestal. You can't catch any Pokemon in the trial site, and once you start your trial, you can't leave until you win or forfeit. Any questions?”  
Sophocles folded his arms. “I have a few, yeah,” he said.  
“I don't, though,” Acerola chirped. “I'm gonna dive on in, and I'll see you after, yeah?”  
Sophocles nodded. “Have fun.”  
“Thanks, Soffy!”  
He blushed, and Plumeria laughed as Acerola vanished into Verdant Cavern.

There was a table in the center, with six plates; three sets of two. The guide standing by the table adjusted his hat while Acerola considered. The first plate was pretty standard Pokemon food; some berries and a side of kibble. The second was carefully selected garbage; some crushed aluminum cans, plastic wrappers and things. The third was a circle of Pokebeans, each resting on the next; a rainbow of colors, corresponding to the Grimer settled a little ways away, restful.  
“Hi, Grimer,” Acerola said, bending down to its level.  
“Gri-i-ime?” the Pokemon replied, fixing her with a curious stare.  
“I'm here to try the trial. You couldn't tell me what kind of food you like best, could you?”  
“Mer,” the Grimer confirmed, shaking its head for added emphasis.  
“Okay,” Acerola said. “Just thought I'd ask.” She patted it on the top, and it made a pleased burbling sound. Then, she straightened up, and made her way to the Grimer sitting to the left of the entrance, between small ledges.  
“Hey, Grimer,” Acerola said cheerfully.  
“Grime,” the Grimer grunted.  
“Hey, wait a minute.” Acerola tilted her head. “Something's different about you...”  
“Grime?”  
“Hmm...” Acerola stood there for a moment, and Grimer opened its mouth to inquire again, and then she chirped, “Got it! I'll be right back.”  
“Grimer?” The Pokemon shrugged and settled.  
First, though, Acerola inspected the third Grimer; it gave her a “Griiiiime,” and she grinned and nodded. “Okay, you're the one that likes the kibble,” she decided. It tilted its face at her. “Your teeth are brown,” she explained, “so you must like the brown food, right?” Grimer shrugged. But, when she returned with the plate, it gave her a smile; she set it down, and the Grimer started to eat with a happy noise.  
“Got it,” Acerola purred. The first Grimer's cones were small, almost absent, and a milky blue; that corresponded to one of the colors of Pokebean, and it ate those happily. She had just placed the third plate by the remaining Grimer when the guide spoke up.  
“The Z-crystal is that way.” He pointed, and she nodded.  
With a “Thanks!” Acerola emerged into the light again; the inner hollow of the Verdant Cavern.

The pedestal didn't just have one Z-crystal in it; it had many, leaking out of the thing and onto the ground. It looked surprisingly clean, though traces of moss ran on the edges; Acerola tilted her head. She blinked.  
There was a rumble, and she jumped back as a Muk pulled itself into shape from around the pedestal, carrying the Z-crystals with in one massive lump. It growled, and a bright red aura flared around it; Acerola fumbled for her Pokeballs. “Sandygast, you can do it!”  
“Gast,” the little ghost agreed as it resolved out of red light. It looked up at the much larger Pokemon, which roared.  
“Sss-ssand,” Sandygast said, then swiped one of its little lumps over the ground; mud sprayed up, but it didn't seem to do much, and the Muk swatted Sandygast aside.  
Acerola recalled it. “Sorry, Sandy,” she said, and kissed the ball before tucking it away; then, she pulled out Drifloon's ball. “Keep it moving,” she told the balloon, “and don't try and engage it! Try and buy us some time, okay?”  
“Floon!” Drifloon agreed, and puffed itself up, bobbing high enough that Muk couldn't quite reach it. The Totem Pokemon swiped, and then it started to extend itself; Drifloon made an alarmed noise and floated higher, wriggling through the air lightly.  
A gleam of purple caught Acerola's attention. That was right, wasn't it- the Z-crystals were inside the Muk... “Got it,” she grinned. “Drifloon, to me!”  
“Drif,” the ghost acknowledged, and made its way down to its trainer. The Muk roared, and Acerola slipped forward and put her upper body in it.  
For a second, nothing happened. The Muk's eyes focused on the human sticking out of its mouth, and it blinked, then reached down and put its hand on her hips, trying gently to dislodge her. She refused.  
“Floon??” Drifloon asked, and put its little hands on her waistband. It was harder to pull Acerola out of the Muk than it should have been.  
Finally, she tumbled back, gasping for air and landing on her rear, fists clenched. Drifloon puffed up, blowing air out at the Muk in a gust, and Acerola laughed.  
She stood again, then opened her hand, revealing a Poisinium Z. “Trial cleared!” she declared, and the Muk stopped mid-bellow.  
It just sat there, looking at the Z-crystal, and then shifted, drawing its arms over its lower body and grumbling as it turned away. Acerola chuckled, and Drifloon perched on her shoulder. “We got it, Drifloon,” she smiled, and brushed a little Muk out of her hair. It wicked off her fingers, and slipped back towards the Totem Pokemon, which was settling back down around the pedestal.  
Drifloon and Sandygast were both carried; Drifloon on one shoulder, Sandygast in her arms, and Acerola marched to Plumeria and Sophocles.  
“... and, anyway,” Sophocles said, then noticed Acerola and cut himself off. “Oh! How'd it go?”  
She twirled the Poisinium between two fingers, grinning. “I did it-” Then, she paused as she fumbled it. She put Sandygast down carefully, then picked the Z-crystal back up, showing it to the Trial Captain.  
Plumeria smiled. “So you did,” she said. “Did you have much trouble? Was it, uh, too hard or anything?”  
Acerola looked at her quizzically.  
“Sorry,” Plumeria said. “You're the first trial-goers to actually, like, take my trial. And you passed, so...”  
“Nah, it wasn't too hard,” Acerola said. She paused. Then, she admitted, “I wasn't able to defeat the big one, but I figured out a way to get the crystal anyway.”  
“Oh, yeah?” Plumeria asked, raising an eyebrow.  
Acerola glanced at Sophocles. “You should start it first,” she said. “I don't wanna spoil anything.”  
Sophocles nodded. “Yeah, probably.” He paused at the entrance to the cavern and swallowed.  
“Hey,” Acerola called after him. He looked back. She raised her fist. “You got this, Soffy.”  
He smiled, and started the trial.


End file.
